d-e-f-i-n-i-t-e-l-y · Apr 26, 08:26 am

this makes me want to go on a rampage of domain registering and explicating.

rampage!

Categories: editing / | comments?

* * * * * *

sailor's word book · Jan 30, 04:46 pm

Sailor's Word Book

you’d think a sailor’s dictionary would be full of naughty words. but not this one. i love discovering the culture and history of words: where they came from, where they’re going and how they were used on the decks of ships in times past.

here are some of my favourites:

tempest: a word not much used by seamen. it is, however synonymous with storms, gales, &c.

ascii: the inhabitants of the torrid zone, who twice a year, being under a vertical sun, have no shadow.

artist: a name formerly applied to those mariners who were expert navigators.

navigation: the art of conducting vessels on the sea, not only by the peculiar knowledge of seamanship in all its intricate details, but also by such a knowledge of the higher branches of nautical astronomy as enables the commander to hit his port, after a long succession of bad weather, and an absence of three or four months from all land. any man without science may navigate the entire canals of great britain, but may be unable to pass from plymouth to guernsey.

Sample page 1

Sample page 2

if you’d like a copy for yourself – click here

Categories: editing / books | comments?

* * * * * *

i love dixon · Nov 17, 01:19 pm

Tri-Conderoga
photo credit: tom leininger

while browsing at pencil revolution i read of a new pencil released by the fine folks at dixon – the tri-conderoga. the ticonderoga has long been a favourite of pencil enthusiasts everywhere, and dixon has been hard at work creating a new pencil to delight and ensnare the hearts of their longstanding client base.

the reviews i read of the tri-conderoga were all favourable, and i wanted to get my hands on one of these fine writing sticks. i did some quick googling and came up with a short list of online retailers that distribute the pencils. however, down each online avenue of merchandise i was met with the same frustration. no one ships tri-conderogas to canada.

bollocks.

i decided to go straight to the top and email the fine folks at dixon who had created this pencil in the first place. a day or two after my initial email a very nice customer service representative emailed me back to let me know that i could order them through grand & toy, and that she had sent me FREE SAMPLES in the mail. if i was in love with the people at dixon before this was turning into a strange and forceful lust.

i’m awaiting with anticipation the arrival of my sleek, black, trianglicious pencils.

thank you dixon!

Categories: editing / web | comments? [3]

* * * * * *

gargantuan unicode · Mar 21, 09:04 am

no, not some oversized character, but a chart that details every unicode character in every language.

what is unicode? well it’s a system to input every character in every language using numbers – the universal language. displaying languages on computer screens is rather complicated.

if you have a document written in chinese, it can display differently in traditional rather than simplified, and different again if it is mandarin. if you have a macintosh it’s a different process than if you have a peecee. so how do you enter documents on your computer to ensure they get displayed properly?

you use unicode. and ian albert has made the extraordinary step of creating a chart (6 feet long) that details every character.

the file is nearly downloaded (100mb). now all i have to figure is where i can get it printed! and how many copies!

Categories: code / editing | comments?

* * * * * *

why all the dashes? · Jan 25, 01:00 pm

for all of you who wonder what the difference between an en-dash, an em-dash and a macron – here’s you’re answer

alas, if you’re struggling to suss out the strophe, you’re screwed.

Categories: editing / | comments?

* * * * * *

daveb

d-e-f-i-n-i-t-e-l-y · Apr 26, 08:26 am

sailor's word book · Jan 30, 04:46 pm

here are some of my favourites:

Sample page 1

Sample page 2

i love dixon · Nov 17, 01:19 pm

gargantuan unicode · Mar 21, 09:04 am

why all the dashes? · Jan 25, 01:00 pm